THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH

Three times in John chapters 14-16 Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth [John 14:17; 15:26 and 16:13]. John uses the same phrase twice in his epistles [1 John 4:6; 5:6].

Many years ago I heard Leighton Ford, Billy Graham’s brother-in-law preach. He said, “For many people everything is relative, and the only absolute that they have is the absolute that there are no absolutes.” God is truth and His laws are the absolutes on which our faith is built. Because the Holy Spirit is God His ministry is a ministry of truth because God is truth.

We see the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of truth manifest in several ways. Firstly, God’s Word is truth and the Holy Spirit was the author of God’s Word. Paul says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God” [2 Timothy 3:16]. Peter enlarging on this writes, “Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” [2 Peter 1:20-21]. God’s Word is His revelation of truth to man, given through the Holy Spirit. His Word is a treasure house of truth!

Secondly, the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth convicts people of sin [John 16:7-8]. As a young evangelist, I preached at a Methodist Church in the North of England on Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah was convicted of sin as He saw the sovereign God upon His throne. After the meeting we adjourned for tea in the church hall, but I was called back to sanctuary, and found the minister of the church lying on the floor and crying out for mercy. The Holy Spirit had convicted him of sin in his life. May God make us very sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit, and may we constantly allow Him to search our hearts.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth [John 16:13]. He is the One who teaches us, and reminds us of everything that Jesus taught [John 14:26]. When we first come to Christ we are as infants, and need to be taught by the Holy Spirit. Yes, He does use godly people to teach us, but in many respects His lessons are more powerful to us when He teaches us directly. Why not ask the Holy Spirit to teach you. The Psalmist wrote, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me” [Psalm 25:4]. That is the work of the Holy Spirit. Any revelation that comes by the Holy Spirit will never contradict what He has already spoken in the Bible, and will always point to Jesus and glorify Him.

Questions:

Why is it important that we should spend time every day reading and meditating upon God’s Word?

What does it mean to be convicted and convinced of sin by the Holy Spirit? Why should this always lead to repentance?

Would you pray the prayer today that the Psalmist prayed in Psalm 25 verse 4 and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you?